This was over far too quickly... and left wide open for more! Not that I expected anything less. This was absolutely stunning. Rafe and Jeremy were epic lead characters, and the storyline was one that kept you intrigued at every turn of a page. I cannot wait to see what Meg does next!

I'll admit that I was expecting big things and a great story after reading Meg Shaffer's previous novel. I feel she definitely met my expectations with this fantasy tale of enduring love, family and friendship. I was quickly drawn into both worlds by the plot and characters, particularly Rafe and Jeremy's part of the tale. This was a quick read because I just couldn't lay it down! The tender love story, Rafe's memory loss and the long separation between Jeremy and Rafe after their mysterious six month disappearance in the West Virginia wilderness had me teary, particularly the instances where one sacrifices for the other. The author made me really feel the love and fear of loss. I also liked the brief interjections by the narrator. With fantasy, I think it's important to strike the right balance in worldbuilding. For me, too much detail detracts from the action. Lost Story emphasizes the adventure and emotion with just enough description to help me experience the fairytale world that Shaffer conjured up for Rafe, Jeremy, Emilie and Shannon/Skya. Thanks to Ballantine, Random House and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

"All books are magic. An object that can take you to another world without even leaving your room? A story written by a stranger and yet it seems they wrote it just for you or to you? Loving and hating people made out of ink and paper, not flesh and blood? Yes, books are magic. Maybe even the strongest magic there is." After reading Meg Shaffer's The Wishing Game last year and loving it, I was beyond excited when she announced her second novel, The Lost Story. I fell in love with Meg Shaffer's writing because of her ability to create something magical and fun for adults. She let go of all expectations of what adult fiction should be and let it become what it could be. It is such a pleasure to read a book that feels like falling deeper and deeper into your imagination, where all of the most improbable prospects become real. The Lost Story is sweet and bittersweet. It follows Emilie, a woman looking for her older sister, who is presumed dead. Emilie seeks help from Jeremey, a man and former lost boy who, as a kid, got lost in the woods with his childhood best friend, Rafe. With the help of both Jeremey and Rafe, the three of them set off on the journey of finding Emilie's sister. The novel's first half is heavily introduction-driven, and I impatiently waited for the inevitable magic to make its presence known. Despite initially feeling the story was somewhat slow-paced, the characters no doubt compensated for that because I do not think I am in possession of a vocabulary to make my love for the characters justice. Every character felt different and individual, and each added depth to the story. Not only did it feel like every character had a place and a purpose in the story, but Meg Shaffer has such a talent for writing entertaining, heartwarming dialogue and relations between each character in such a way that it is almost impossible to choose a favorite. In addition to the main characters, I adored the inclusion of a storyteller who remains nameless throughout the novel until the very end, which perfectly ties the whole story together. The novel beautifully discusses old wounds, family, love, and friendship. It reminds us how impactful, meaningful, and serious fantasy literature can be without sacrificing the magic. Meg Schaffer's ability to write love letters to books within the books themselves is astounding. Warmest recommendation from me.

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer When Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing when they were fifteen, they were typical scrawny teenage boys. Six months later, Jeremy walks out of the forest carrying Rafe over his shoulder and both boys are more like men. They've grown inches, gained muscle and pounds, and look like fit men, something that perplexes everyone. Inseparable before they walked out of the forest, Jeremy's mom whisks him away before Rafe is even out of the hospital, and in the present day, it's been fifteen years since they've seen each other. Jeremy finds lost people now, usually alive, sometimes dead. Rafe has no memory of their missing six months and Jeremy has a reason he stays away from Rafe and won't reveal all that Rafe doesn't remember. That is, until a young woman named Emilie tracks down Jeremy and begs him to find her missing sister. This request is a trigger that brings Jeremy and Rafe back together again. Being a fairy tale, with all kinds of rules and made up restrictions and such to follow, there are "reasons" why this and that but I won't go into them. You need to read the story for it all to make sense (or not). There are two parts to the story, before going back to a very special place and after the trio travel to the very special place. The story is enjoyable but to me it feels very YA. The boys, now men, are thirty but they still seem much younger in many ways, still maybe stuck as teens. But even the story can feel young, with its storyteller coming in every few chapters to explain things to us. I actually enjoyed the storyteller part of the story a bit more than the actual story, I think. 3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

I’ve never read The Chronicles of Narnia because by the time I discovered the series, I was already too old for fairy tales. Fortunately, I’ve now reached an age where I'm old enough to read them again, and while I keep saving Narnia for the future, I’m always drawn to books inspired by it. The Lost Story has all the elements a fairy tale needs: princes and princesses, knights, magic, special animals, villains, unicorns, found family, romance, second chances, redemption, and, of course, a happy ever after. This story has one of the most gripping beginnings I’ve experienced in a while, and I was ecstatic to dive into it. We follow Emilie, who, in search of her big sister, contacts Jeremy, a formerly lost boy with a special talent for finding girls in need. From there, we are introduced to a cast of lovable characters, learn their stories and secrets, and enter a magical world full of wonder and Fleetwood Mac. For no particular reason, I was expecting this to be a fairy tale for adults and was anticipating something a bit darker. However, this is a fairy tale for everyone, which is exactly as it should be